cruiser

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

Copyright The Columbia University Press

cruiser, large, fast, moderately armed warship, intermediate in type between the aircraft carrier and the destroyer. During World War II, battle cruisers operated as small battleships, combining in one vessel maximum qualities of gun caliber, armor protection, and speed. Upon the retirement of the battleship from the major navies of the world, the cruiser became the largest of the conventionally armed warships in commission. The cruiser's primary mission in modern warfare is to provide antiaircraft defense and gunfire support for aircraft carriers. Light cruisers, lightly armed and very fast, are often employed in scouting, police duties, and other jobs where speed rather than defensive strength is important. The advent of guided missiles as the primary offensive weapon of modern warfare has led to the conversion of many cruisers into guided-missile cruisers. The guided-missile cruiser Long Beach (completed 1961) was the first ship since World War II to be constructed for the U.S. navy from keel up as a cruiser; it was also the first nuclear-powered surface fighting ship in the world.

cruiser

cruis·er
/ ˈkroōzər/
•
n.
1.
a relatively fast warship larger than a destroyer and less heavily armed than a battleship.
2.
a yacht or motorboat with passenger accommodations, designed for leisure use. ∎
a person who goes on a pleasure cruise.
3.
an automobile that can be driven smoothly at high speed. ∎
a police patrol car.

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cruiser

cruiser Warship – smaller, lighter and faster than a battleship – ranging in size from 7500 to 21,000 tonnes. After World War I, arms limitation treaties restricted its guns to 200mm (8in). Since World War II, cruisers have replaced battleships as the major warships of a modern navy.

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